The end of a journey
by YuriUnique
Summary: A possible end of One Piece. Maybe this will happen, who knows? Get your tissues ready!


I'm kneeling on the high scaffold in Roguetown, my hands are bounded on my back and beneath me and I feel the old wooden planks which are discoloured by the blood of the many executation-victims. Behind me, there are two marine soldiers with heavy longspears who are waiting patiently for a third one to read out the document in his hands.

"Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the worldwide sought after strawhat-pirates, you're convicted because of piracy and you are on death row." the soldier shouts calmly.

_**I always knew that it couldn't last forever…**_

I don't move when the crowd around me begins to jeer.

Instead of shivering, I gaze at the black wooden planks beneath me who absorbed the lifeblood of the pirate king Gol D. Roger so many years ago and who will be soaked with my blood soon. Did he feel like me at that time? Did he think the same?

"Do you have anything to say for your defense?" the marine asks shortly as if it didn't interest him.

_**I always knew this journey would end some day…**_

I lift my head slowly and stare into the distance. Tons of people have gathered on the place and crane their necks, only to see me.

There are men, women, old people and children of all ages who watch me accurately. They all are waiting for my last words.

"I have nothing left to say!" I reply clearly. The crowd seems disappointed, but I don't care. My eyes are glancing at the peoples faces, I remember some of them. I remember all the adventures, all the fights, all the joys and tears. Suddenly, I feel an unfamiliar feeling rise inside of me and I can't refrain myself from laughing.

_**It was a great time… I wouldn't do anything different…**_

Every once in a while, between all those shoving viewers, I espy people from villages we visited before, warriors, who temporary fought for the same goal and enemies, who fought against us to the blood. I don't last my glance on them very long; I rather search increasingly impatient for those guys I want to see one last time before I have to go.

_**My crew…**_

When I espy them in the crowd, my heart suddenly tightens painfully.

The surrounding fades for a moment, the jeering mass, the marine soldier, who still lists my crimes up, the town, the scaffold, simply everything. There are only me and my crew. My fellows. My friends.

_**It was a great time…**_

They stand near the beams, surrounded by observing marines. Mourning and disappointment define one their faces, but my smile doesn't fade, it only grows wider. They will come clear and go their ways which was my condition when I surrendered. For my friends, I give up my journey, my dream and my life. I am on this scaffold for them. And I do not regret anything, because I know that they can continue their journeys, dreams and lives.

_**I have to thank you for this great time which has to end right now…**_

My gaze rests at Zoro. My right hand. My first crewmember. I've never met anyone else who fought with such a passion. I clearly remember our first meeting so many years ago, all our fights, his vow that he gave me, his waist torn up from his first fight with Mihawk. We always understood each other without many words and now, it is the same. Wordless, he lifts his black-green bandana high over his head and lets it go. It immediately gets captured by the autumnal wind which blows it away like a leaf, high above the heads of the crowd.

_**Thank you, Zoro.**_

Now, my glance rests on Sanji. By now, he is as famous as Zoro and me, but not only for his bounty, also for his cooking skills which made this man indispensable for my crew. We found the Great Blue on our journey and fulfilled his desire. I still see his face in front of me when he first saw the legendary ocean. After this journey, he will return there and start a restaurant. I do not doubt that he will make it. My ships cook sees that I fix him, takes a deep drag from his cigarette and blows out the blue smoke slowly. His blonde hair hangs wildly in his face.

_**Thank you, Sanji.**_

Next to my cook, there is my cannoneer and cries like a baby. I do not miff him; tears always came easily to him. He cried when he was allowed to join the crew, he cried in his fights, cried because of fear, because of joy. But he was always a loyal and faithful friend and that is, maybe because he was not as supernatural strong as Zoro and Sanji, really worth it. He is the world-beating marksman and raises his slingshot only for me and shoots in the air. The fireball explodes and, for a few seconds, reveals a bright picture of a huge monkey, who shakes hands with a much smaller fox. The crowd and the marines laugh, but I understand what it means and I feel warmness in my chest.

_**Thank you, Usopp.**_

Next to Usopp, there is, of course, Chopper. The reindeer has a kind soul and a friendly heart, and I see that the whole situation shows his effects on him. Thick tears roll down his face and drop in his soft fur. He often warmed me in cold nights and it was him who vetted us after hard fights. Whenever he could, he wanted to help. A kind-hearted combatant. An unpayable friend.

_**Thank you, Chopper.**_

The little reindeer presses himself against Nico Robins leg, she lifts him up and holds him in her arms. Nico Robin. We all had to go through hard times in our past, but nobody had it as hard as her. Repudiated and hated because of her existence, she had no time to self-actualize herself. She was already one of my worst enemies, but also one of my best friends. That woman always kept a clear head, even if a desperate circumstance seemed hopeless and she saved the crews lives more than once. I could never understand her character completely, but I hope that she found something to live for. She smiles a melancholic smile as she looks into my eyes and one, perfect formed tear rolls down her cheek.

_**Thank you, Robin.**_

Finally, my gaze rests on orange hair. Nami stands upright and proud and the same wind which already blew Zoro's bandana away streams trough her by now long hair. She cries silent and brave tears and for me, she never looked more beautiful. Many thoughts cross my mind when I look at her. Shared tears, shared joys, fights, secret nights in the crow's nest, the taste of her lips, the glow in her eyes when she laughs, spoken and unspoken things and the way she puts her hand protectively on her belly where my son is growing.

_**Thank you, Nami. My Queen.**_

The soldier reads out my last crimes and reels in the document.

"If there are no more protests-"

"STOP!"

Suddenly, there is flurry in the crowd as a small group paves a trail to the scaffold. I don't have to see the blue haired woman, because I already recognized the voice which fills the whole place.

"Stop it already! You are not allowed to do this!"

"Queen Vivi!" one of the soldiers murmurs.

"You have to cancel this execution. You are not allowed to do this."

"It's okay Vivi. " I hear myself say. Though I don't shout, the wind takes my voice to the last person on the place.

"I decided!"

_**I always knew that this journey had to end…**_

"What? Stop to talk this nonsense." Vivi shouts desperately. She is a fighter and never gives up her friends, family and her country. But even as the queen of Arabasta, she can't change it anymore. "It's okay Vivi. I surrendered. The others crimes are removed. They can live in peace." I explain with a clear head. "I always knew it had to end someday. It's alright. I found One Piece and lived a great life… I do not regret anything…"

The crowd gets impatient a second time and I know exactly why. I see how Vivi yells at my crew, but they won't do anything. They obey their captain till the end.

"One Piece? You found it?" A soldier asks finally.

_**One Piece…**_

Somebody shouts: "You found One Piece? Where?"

I smirk and look at my crew one last time, before I close my eyes.

"I found it. But you have to look for it yourself."

_**Because One Piece isn't a treasure of gold and diamonds.**_

_**It is Zoro. It is Sanji. It is Usopp, Chopper, Vivi and Robin. It is Nami. It is all the time I could spend with them and all the adventures we have been through.**_

The disappointment of the crowd can't be missed. The soldier with the document clears his throat and says: "Do it!"

_**Because of this journey, we met and became friends… One Piece…**_

I do not feel the stabs of the longspears that pierce my body. I hear screams, jubilations, shouts and my inner eye sees my friends and I smile as the darkness embraces me.

_**Thank you, guys… Thank you for everything… You are my One Piece…**_


End file.
